Delhi Police arrest two law students for disrupting Supreme Court proceedings
The Delhi Police have arrested two law students for allegedly disrupting judicial proceedings, assaulting a security guard, and using abusive language against the Chief Justice inside Court No. 13 of the Supreme Court in Delhi. The arrests, which took place on Wednesday, followed an incident during a court hearing on July 10.
The accused have been identified as Prabal Pratap, 24, a third-year law student from Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh, and Chander Bhan, 23, a second-year law student from Rae Bareli.
According to the police, the incident occurred during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition before a bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe. Pratap, who was appearing as a petitioner-in-person, allegedly disrupted the proceedings by throwing papers inside the courtroom, using unparliamentary language, and creating disorder.
During the hearing, Pratap repeatedly referred to the judges as "judicial servants" and asserted that he was "sovereign." He reportedly told the bench, "Mister judicial servant, I order you to order the registration of an FIR against ACP Vikas Nagar, Lucknow." When Justice Viswanathan questioned him, Pratap allegedly threw case papers into the air and used abusive language while referring to the Chief Justice.
When Supreme Court security personnel attempted to restrain Pratap and maintain courtroom decorum, the accused allegedly used force against them, obstructing them from discharging their official duties.
Following the disruption, security staff filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) at the Tilak Marg Police Station. The charges against the duo include sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to assaulting or using criminal force on a public servant, obstructing a public servant, threat of injury to a public servant, and common intention.
The police subsequently arrested the two students on Wednesday. They were produced before Judicial Magistrate First Class Ravi at the Patiala House Court on Monday, where the police were granted two days of custody.
During the investigation, police recovered pamphlets containing objectionable words from the possession of the accused. Both individuals underwent medical examinations at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), where medical professionals determined that no immediate psychiatric intervention was required.
Although the Supreme Court bench dismissed Pratap's petition, the judges declined to initiate contempt proceedings against him, noting his condition and stating they did not propose to take action on those grounds.
